Method of and apparatus for sole edge trimming



Oct, 16, 1934.

' :IE. QTYLER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SOLE EDGE TRIMMING v Filed April 21, 1952 Patented Oct. 16, 1934 PATENT" oFsicE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR/SOLE EDGE TRIMMING Edgar Caldwell Tyler, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 21, 1932, Serial No. 606,703

In Great Britain May 19, 1931 27 Claims.

This invention relates to sole edge trimming and is exemplified herein with reference to the formation of a bevel on a sole edge in conformity to a-related shoe part.

It is desirable, in order that the heightwise curvature of the heel end of the finished shoe may present asmooth, even contour extending from the upper edge down to the heel seat, that the edge around the lower face of theinsole, to

m which face a piece of reinforcing material is commonly attached, be beveled off around the heel end at such an angle that the slope of the beveled edge of the insole follows substantially the heightwise curvature at the heel end of the last.

Difficulty has, however, been experienced up to the present in obtaining cutting means for beveling'the heel ends of reinforced insoles which will trim the reinforced insoles cleanly and quickly and will not require frequent regrinding,

2U sharpening or replacement. Moreover, such a trimming operation has hitherto customarily taken place after the insole has been rounded or cut to'shape and necessitates both a separate handling of the insole and the provision of special trimming means, both of which factors increase the expense of making the shoes in which the insoles are to be incorporated.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to obviatethe above difiiculties and to provide improved methods of and apparatus for trimming and beveling-sole edges.

Thus, the invention in one aspect provides the method of operating upon soles which consists in causing a relative movement between a sole and a trimming tool having plural angularly disposed cutting edges in a direction which is oblique to the plane of the sole whereby dilferent parts of the'sole edge are trimmed at different angles with respect'to the plane of the sole by different cutting edges of the tool. It is apparent that the practice of such a method makes it possible to use 'a trimming tool certain portions of which are especially adapted for operating on certain parts of soles, thereby minimizing the loss of time arising from the necessity of resharpening the tool'or its replacement by another Again, the invention provides a method in the practice of which the relation between the abovementioned cutting edges of the tool and its direction of cutting movement with respect to the work is such that one cuttingedge bevels the edge of the heel end of the sole to the desired degree and the other trims the edge of the toe end of the sole substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the sole.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide improved apparatus by means of which the above methods'can be practised and which, as herein illustrated, is embodied in a machine of the rounding type, that is, one having mechanism for causing the transfer of the point of operation of a knife for trimming a sole about the periphery of the sole, under the guidance of a pattern. In accordance with this object the invention provides an improved rounding machine comprising a sole pattern, means for clamping a sole on the'pattern, and means for trimming the sole to the pattern, the last-mentioned means and the sole being relatively movable in a direction which is obilque to the plane of the fore and heel part portions of the sole. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, the trimming means is furnished by a knife which is moved relatively to thesole.

The desired relation of the movement of the 5 knife to the sole, referred to above, is procured in the illustrated construction as a result of the sole being disposed at the desired angle with respect to the direction of movement of the knife. This end isv attained by substituting fora pattern of the usual type having uniform thickness, in a sole rounding machine the knife of which is movable so that all points in it move in planes which are parallel to the sole engaging face of the pattern, an improved pattern, forming a feature of the invention, having a forepart, 1 a heel part and a shank portion, the periphery of which pattern is shaped in accordance with the desired shape of the soleto be rounded, and the thickness of which progressively diminishes from one end to the other.

The shank portion of the pattern herein disclosed is thinner than the heel part but thicker than the forepart. Therefore, when the pattern is 'embodiedin a machine such as is illustrated herein, it supports the heel end of a sole to be trimmed higher than the toe end and hence causes the heel portion of the sole to be present ed tothe upper portion of the knife above referred to, while the toe portion of the sole is supported at such a height as to be in the path of the lower portion of the knife.

Invention is alsoto be recognized in the provision with a pattern of the type referred to above of a clamping element, the pattern and clamp- 5 ing element being movable relatively toward and from each other and the cooperating sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of which are disposed in planes which are oblique to the direction of their relative movement.

IOU

The drawing illustrates, in front elevation, one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention.

My improved apparatus is illustrated herein in connection with a sole rounding machine which, in general construction and operation; is similar, except as will hereinafter be pointed out, to the machine disclosed in Letters Patentby an upper clamping block 8 which is lowered to the sole and pressed against it by the depression of a treadle.

The machine is also provided with a trimming or rounding knife 10 which is mounted in a carrier 12 which is caused to travel around the pattern 6 in contact with its edge, and while the 3 said carrier is thus traveling around the pattern the knife which it carries operates to trim the sole blank to the shape of the pattern. In such a machine as heretofore used, the pattern and sole blank have been held fixed in a horizontal plane during the trimming operation and the rounding knife has usually comprised a single vertical cutting edge which trims the blank close to the side of the pattern.

In the present illustrative embodiment, however, the plane of the entire sole blank is disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the knife 10, i. e., the direction of extension of the plane in which any point on the tool is moved,

whereby the trimming cut at the heel end of the.

1 sole blank is different from that which is madeat the forepart.

Specifically this is achieved in a simple manner in the illustrative embodiment now being described by so arranging the pattern 6 that the upper face of it, against which the sole blank 3 is pressed by the upper clamping block 8 on depression of a treadle in the usual way, is inclined downwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the knife at a slight angle, as shown in the drawing, from the heel to the toe end and to such an extent that the toe end of the sole blank is lower than the extreme heel end by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the sole blank at the forepart. This is achieved by uniformly tapering the thickness of the pattern 6 on which the sole blank rests so that it is less at the toe end than at the heel end by an amount, as herein illustrated, slightly greater than the thickness of an average reinforced sole blank at its unreinforced part, i. e., three thirty- 61 seconds of an inch or thereabout. The upper surface of the pattern 6 therefore, when the latter is supported on vertical pins 14 on the lower clamp 2 which extend into holes in it perpendicular to its lower face in the normal way, will be canted downwardly toward its toe end the desired amount as will also the sole blank which is pressed against it by the clamping block 8 the under face of which is inclined downwardly toward its toe end parallel to the top face of the pattern 6. Further, the trimming knife 10 has two angularly disposed cutting edges 16 and 18. The lower edge 16 is short, straight and vertical and its topmost point 20 lies at a height on a level with the upper face of the pattern at. the

extreme heel end and therefore on a level just above the upper edge of the sole blank at the toe end. Above the said straight vertical cutting edge 16 of the knife extends a cutting edge 18 about three-eighths of an inch long which is inclined inwardly toward the middle part of the sole blank over the edge of the latter at an angle equal to that at which it is desired that the edge of the heel end of the sole be beveled (generally an angle of some twenty-two degrees or so to the vertical).

The operation of the illustrative embodiment on a reinforced insole blank is as follows: The pattern 6 is correctly assembled in the machine on the pins 14 so that its upper face is canted as described and a reinforced insole blank is laid on the pattern and is clamped securely thereto by the lowering of the upper clamping block 8 in a direction which is oblique to its sole engaging surface. The trimming knife may then be brought by the operator into contact with the insole blank at the toe end thereof. Owing to the fact that the cutting edge 16 extends vertically to a point above the upper edge of the insole blank at the toe end, the edge of the blank at the toe end will be trimmed substantially perpendicularly to the general plane of the blank. As soon as the cutting commences, the knife carrier 12 (which is constantly urged yieldingly toward the pattern) will come into contact with the edge of the pattern and will remain in contact with it throughout the remainder of the cutting operation in order to trim the insole blank to the shape of the pattern. As the knife travels along the side of the pattern from the toe end toward the heel end of the blank, the inwardly inclined cutting edge 18 of the knife 10 gradually comes into action on the edge of the blank since the heel end of the blank is higher than the toe end, thereby commencing gradually to bevel the top edge of the blank heelward of the toe portion, the depth of the bevel gradually increasing as the cutting operation proceeds along the forepart toward the heel end of the blank. When the inclined cutting edge 18 comes into action on the toeward end of the reinforcing layer in the shank, it will commence to form a bevel on the edge of the blank which extends from the upper side of the reinforcing layer almost, but not quite, to the under side of the blank and, as the inclined cutting edge 18 proceeds further along toward the heel end, the width of the bevel produced by the said inclined cutting edge will gradually increase until it extends, at the extreme heel end of the blank, entirely from the upper edge of the reinforcing layer to the lower edge of the blank. The cutting operation then proceeds around the extreme heel end with the inclined cutting portion of the knife beveling the entire thickness of the insole and reinforcing material until the knife commences to travel around the opposite side of the insole toward the toe end again. As the operation proceeds along this side, the inclined cutting action of the knife shifts upwardly, thereby reducing the extent of beveling produced on the edge of the insole, until at some point near the toe end of the insole the edge of the insole comes into engagement entirely with the lower vertical cutting edge of the knife. From this point the cutting or trimming operation proceeds to its starting point,

trimming the edge purely vertically, that is, substantially perpendicularly of the general plane of the insole.

Thus, a reinforced insole of customary thickness to be trimmed by the method described and assembled in the machine with its toe end sloping downwardly in the mannerdescribed and acted upon by a traversing two-part knife having a lower vertical cutting edge and an upwardly and inwardly inclined cutting edge, which cutting edges meet at a point slightly'above the upper edge of the insole at the toe end,will be trimmed by a substantially perpendicular cut at the toe end which merges very gradually to an inwardly inclined beveling cut as the operation proceeds toward and around the heel end, where the insole and reinforcing layerwill be trimmed entirely by a beveling cut at the desired angle.

This method of operating on the insole facilitates performing on an insole by one operation and ma single machine,both a sole rounding operation and a heel-seat 'beveling operation with a minimum of handling of the insole and without requiring any change oradiustment of the trimming means. Thus, by such a method of combined insole rounding and heel-seat beveling, the usual expense incidental to the installation and operation of a special machine for performing the heel-seat beveling operation upon a previously rounded sole is obviated.

Such a two part trimming knife as is made use of in theparticular present illustrative embodiment described comprises only a-srnall and simple element which is cheap to manufacture and is easily replaceable when necessary.

Having thus described my inven ion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pattern for use in trimming soles in a rounding machine, having a forepart, heel part and shank portion, the periphery of which pattern is shaped in accordance with the desired shape of the sole to be rounded and the thickness of which varies uniformly from one end to the other. 40

2. A patte n for use in trimming soles in a rounding machine, having a forepart, heel part and shank portion, the periphery of which pattern is shaped in accordance with the desired shape of the sole to be rounded and the thickness of which progressively diminishes from one end to the other.

3. A pattern for use in trimming soles in a rounding machine, the shank of which pattern is thinner than the heel part and thicker than the forepart.

4. A pattern for use in trimming soles in a rounding machine, the thickness of the shank portion of which is between that of the-heel part H a and that of the forepart.

? ness of which uniformly diminishes from the heel part to the forepart.

6. The combination, in a rounding machine, of a sole pattern, and a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern, the thicknesses of which clamp and pattern progressively increase and diminish respectively from one end to the other. '7. The combination, in a rounding machine, of a sole pattern and a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern, the thickness of the shank portions of which pattern and clamp are between those of the fore and heel portions thereof.

8. The combination, in a rounding machine, of a sole pattern and a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern, the thiclmesses of which pattern and clamp uniformly diminish and increase respectively from the heel part toward the forepart. I

9. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern and a clamp cooperating with the pattern to hold a sole thereagainst, said pattern and clamp being movable relatively toward and away from each other, and the cooperating sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of said pattern and clamp being disposed in planes which are obl'que to the direction of their relative movement.

10. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, and a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern, said clamp being movable toward and away from the pattern to clamp and release respectively a sole on the pattern, and the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of said pattern and clamp being in parallel planes disposed obliquely with respect to the direction of movement of the clamp.

11. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, and a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern arranged for movement toward and away from the pattern, the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of which pattern lie in a COIILllOll plane which is oblique to the direction of movement of the clamp.

12. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of which lie in a common plane, means for clamping a sole on said pattern, a trimming tool, and means for causing relative movement of the sole and tool in a direction which is oblique to said plane.

13. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of which are included by a common surface, means for clamping a sole on the pattern, and means for trimming the sole to the pattern arranged for movement relatively thereto in a direction which is oblique to that of said surface.

14. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, means for holding a sole on the pattern, a trimming-tool, and means for causing a transfer of the point of operation of the tool peripherally of the sole, the edges of the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of said pattern always being disposed at the same oblique angle to the direction of movement of the knife.

15. The combination, in a rounding machine, of a sole pattern, a clamp cooperating with the pattern to hold a sole thereagainst, and a knife for trimming the sole to the pattern as the knife and pattern are relatively moved, the work engaging faces of the fore and heel portions of said clamp and pattern being in parallel planes disposed obliquely with respect to the direction of movement of the knife.

16. In a rounding machine, in combination, a sole pattern, a clamp cooperating with the patterr'f to hold a sole thereagainst, and a knife for trimming the sole to the pattern as the knife and pattern are relatively moved, the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of said pattern lying in a common surface which is oblique to the direction of relative movement of the knife and the pattern.

17. In a rounding machine, a sole pattern, the sole engaging surfaces of the fore and heel portions of which are included by a common plane, a knife movable relatively to the pattern for trimming a sole thereon, and means for holding the sole against the pattern, said pattern being mounted and arranged so that the said plane is disposed obliquely with respect to the direction of movement of the knife.

18. In a machine for operating on soles, a knife having plural cutting edges, a sole pattern for guiding the knife when they are relatively moved to cause the knife to trim a sole on the pattern, and a clamp for holding the sole against the pattern, said pattern and the clamp being arranged to support the heel end of the sole in position to be operated upon by one of the cutting edges of said knife and to support the toe end of the sole in position to be operated upon by another of said cutting edges of the knife.

19. In a rounding machine, a trimming tool a part of which is positioned to trim the edge of the heel part of a sole at one angle with respect to the plane of the sole and another part of which is positioned to trim the edge of the forepart at a different angle, a sole support, and means for moving the tool about the support in order to trim the sole thereon, the sole engaging portion of said support extending gradually out of the sphere of action of one of the said parts of the tool into that of the other.

20. The combination, in a sole rounding machine, of a sole pattern, a clamp for holding a sole against said pattern, said pattern and said clamp being constructed and arranged to hold the sole in a position in which one end is elevated relatively to the other, and a knife having angularly disposed cutting edges, said knife and pattern being arranged so that upon their relative movement to cause a transfer of the point of operation of the knife about the sole the angle of the edge with respect to the plane of the sole at its elevated end is different from that at the other end.

21. The combination, in a rounding machine,

of a sole pattern, a clamp for holding a sole against the pattern, and a knife movable about the pattern in contact therewith for trimming a sole in conformity with the shape of the pattern, said knife comprising a cutting edge extending heightwise of the pattern and a second cutting edge inclined with respect to the first, said pattern and clamp being constructed and arranged to support a sole in a plane which is oblique to the plane of movement of the knife whereby one portion of the sole edge is trimmed by said firstmentioned cutting edge and another portion is trimmed by said second-mentioned cutting edge as the knife is moved about the pattern.

22. In a sole rounding machine, a sole pattern, a trimming knife, said knife and pattern being relatively movable to cause the point of operation of the knife to be transferred about the edge of a sole on said pattern, and a clamp for holding the sole against said pattern, the sole engaging surfaces of said clamp and pattern being disposed obliquely with respect to the plane of relative movement of the knife and pattern, said knife having contiguous cutting edges respectively perpendicular and inclined to the plane of relative movement of the knife and pattern, said knife and pattern being arranged to cause the inclined cutting edge of said knife to operate on the heel end of the sole and the perpendicular cutting edge of the knife to operate on the toe end of the sole.

23. That method of trimming soles which consists in causing relative movement between a sole and a trimming tool having a plurality of angularly disposed cutting edges, said movement being in a direction which is oblique to the plane of the sole whereby different parts of the sole edge are trimmed at different angles with request to the plane of the sole by different cutting edges of the tool.

24. That method of trimming soles which consists in moving a trimming tool having two angularly disposed cutting edges with respect to a sole in a direction which is oblique to the sole whereby said cutting edges of the tool are caused to bevel and trim respectively the edge of the heel and fore parts of the sole.

25. That method of trimming soles which consists in causing the point of operation of a knife having two angularly disposed cutting edges to be transferred about the periphery of a sole in a direction which is oblique to the plane of the sole whereby different parts of the sole edge are trimmed at different angles with respect to the plane of the sole.

26. That method of trimming soles which consists in causing a relative movement between a sole and a trimming tool having a plurality of angularly disposed cutting edges in such a direction that the edge of the forepart is trimmed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sole by one of said cutting edges and that the heel part edge is trimmed obliquely with respect to the plane of the sole by another of said cutting edges.

27. That method of trimming soles which consists in transferring a knife having a plurality of angularly related cutting edges about the periphery of a sole and positioning the sole with its plane at such an angle to that of the movement of the knife that the sole edge is trimmed at different angles at the heel part and forepart by different cutting edges of said knife.

EDGAR CALDWELL TYLER. 

